One of the Beautiful People

[cortz#9]

We're in May. They are ready to make up. But I already said they don't talk to each other until August. How it is they they don't talk and how it is that they do in August is something I hope you enjoy.

Looking forward to it.

 

[Asharella]

​

Everyone outside the Beatles circle, who knew that the original title of "Sensitive Guy was "Child of Nature," thought the meaning of the lyrics of the song, "We're Together," was about George's love for Pattie, especially since she was pictured with him on the cover and the picture on the back seemed to be of them as children. But those insiders knew it was really about John.

 

[Asharella]

The Magic Christian

Ringo had his first non-Beatle starring role in the film The Magic Christian where he was a homeless hippie adopted by rich Peter Sellers to help him show the emptiness of the greedy, vain, capitalist society while using up his fortune in a series of hilarious spoofs. It was released in the UK in December of 1969 and the following February in the US. But it was filmed in the late winter and early spring of 1969. By then Ringo had serious acting skills, but the producers of this film wanted him to play a character like his previously established persona in Beatles films, which he did. (OOC: although in TTL his acting is much better than in OTL. /OOC)

The film also launched the career of Thunderclap Newman, a band formed by Pete Townsend of the Who. When they recorded their song, "Something in the Air" in January, Jimmy McColloch joined the members of the new band. He was unable, though, to tour with them later when it became a hit, as he was by then a full time member of the Anfield Band. So Mick Ronson was recruited instead.

The other big song to come out of the film was the Iveys' hit, "Come and Get It," which actually was a song written by Paul McCartney. He made a full demo of the song before he gave it to the Iveys and insisted they play it exactly as he had made it, with him producing. By the time it was released they'd changed their name to Badfinger and replaced Ron Giffiths with Joey Molland.

For Ringo the work on the film was exhilarating. As soon as filming wrapped up, he began looking for other roles. He now had a critically acclaimed small role in a TV show episode and a large co-starring role in a big film. Now he wanted a more serious role. He had filmed The Magic Christian while attending drama school, which was a busy schedule for him. He decided not to take classes in the summer, not really necessary in his program, and concentrate on another film. He got the role of a life time, Rocky, the MC for the dance marathon in the Sydney Pollack film They Shoot Horses Don't They starring Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin. Pollack wanted to go with established actor Gig Young, until he saw Ringo's audition. Pollack later explained, "It was like he became someone else. He'd trimmed up his mustache, greased his hair and combed it back, and adopted this 1930s American accent. I instantly forgot he was the Beatles drummer."

The film was released at the very end of December and Ringo was nominated for an Academy Aware for best supporting actor. (Jack Nicholson won for his role in Easy Rider.)

Ringo was now a serious actor.

 

[Asharella]

Updating the entire timeline:

One of the Beautiful People: Alt Former Beatles Timeline


1967

Sunday, August 27 - Brian Epstein dies
Monday, August 28 - Beatles quit being the Beatles

Friday, September 29 – “I Am Walrus” completed, end of recording for YS:AAMT

Middle of October – Film work for YS:AMMT done

Friday, November 24 – “Hello Goodbye”/“Fool on the Hill” released

Tuesday, December 26 – Paul’s dad calls John for help
Wednesday, December 27 - John visits Paul at his dad’s in Liverpool & moves in with Aunt Mimi


1968

Monday, January 22 – Paul and John return to London, Peter Brown made CEO of Apple Corps
Monday, January 29 – John, Paul, & Ringo begin ‘Early 1968 Sessions’

Sunday, February 11 – ‘Early 1968 Sessions’ completed with recording of “Hey Bulldog”
Friday, February 23 – “Hey Bulldog”/“One After 909” released
Sunday, February 25 – “Hey Bulldog” video shown on Ed Sullivan Show
Monday, February 26 – All former Beatles go to India

Friday, March 1 – “Isn’t It a Pity”/Isn’t It a Pity version 2” released
Saturday, March 9 – Paul returns to London
Wednesday, March 13 – Ringo returns to London

Wednesday April 3 – John and George fight
Thursday, April 4 – John returns to London
Friday, April 5 – “Lady Madonna”/“Helter Skelter” released
Saturday, April 6 – Yoko Ono moves in with John in his flat
Monday, April 8 – John starts work on “Across the Universe” with Paul and Ringo
Saturday, April 13 – John finishes “Across the Universe”
Wednesday, April 17 – John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon divorced
Saturday, April 20 – Paul drives out to visit Julian and composes “Hey Jude” in his head
Saturday, April 27 – George returns to London
Monday, April 29 - George starts work on Wonderwall Music

Saturday, May 4 – Paul breaks up with Francie Schwartz
Friday, May 10 – “Don’t Pass Me By”/“Run Down Boogie” released
Monday, May 13 – Ringo begins filming scenes for Candy
Friday, May 17 - Ringo completes filming on Candy
Saturday, May 18 – George finished Wonderwall Music
Monday, May 20 - Ringo sees rushes of his work in Candy and is self critical
Tuesday, May 28 – Ringo with various friends starts work on Hey Baby
Wednesday, May 29 - Wonderwall released at Cannes

Monday, June 3 – George with Paul & Ringo, etc, begin work on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Thursday, June 6 – George & crew work on “Not Guilty”
Saturday, June 8 – George & crew begin recording two songs with Jackie Lomax
Tuesday, June 11 – Paul with George & crew jam and record “Don’t Say You Love Me.”
Thursday, June 13 – George & crew finish up recording the five songs
Friday, June 14 - “I Am The Walrus”/“Across the Universe” released;
Saturday, June 15 – Paul, Maggie McGivern, George, & Pattie vacation in Sardinia
Monday, June 17 – Ringo starts summer classes at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
Tuesday, June 18 – Paul proposes on beach to Maggie & she accepts
Wednesday, June 19 – YS:AMMT film released
Friday, June 21 – YS:AMMT album released
Saturday, June 22 – Paparazzi take photos of Paul & Maggie holding hands
Monday, June 24 – Tabloids print photos of Paul & Maggie

Friday, July 5 - “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”/ “Not Guilty” released
Monday, July 8 – Paul with friends begins work on “Hey Jude” and Where I Been From.
Saturday, July 13 – John works on Revolution EP
Tuesday, July 16 – Yoko Ono and Anthony Cox divorced
Thursday, July 25 – John completes Revolution EP
Friday, July 26 – Paul and friends record last over dubs for “Hey Jude”

Friday, August 2 – “Sour Milk Sea”/“The Eagle Laughs At You” released
Tuesday, August 6 – Kyoko arrives in London to visit her mom, Yoko Ono
Thursday, August 8 – Kyoko turns 5, John plays Revolution EP to Paul at Kyoko’s party
Friday, August 9 – Ringo finishes up summer class
Saturday, August 10 – Anthony Cox, Kyoko’s dad, disappears into a cult; Hey Baby finished
Monday, August 11 – John enters studio with Paul, Ringo, etc for “Revolution 2”
Thursday, August 15 – John and crew begin work on Number Nine EP
Saturday, August 31 – Revolution EP released

Wednesday, September 4 – Yoko finds out she is pregnant
Friday, September 6 – John Lennon and Yoko One marry. John becomes John Ono Lennon.
Saturday, September 7 – John, Yoko, Kyoko, & Julian go on family honeymoon in Majorca, Spain
Sunday, September 15 - John, Yoko, Kyoko, & Julian return to London
Monday, September 16 – Julian goes home to Cynthia and Kyoko visit, John and Yoko binge on Heroin
Tuesday, September 17 – Yoko miscarries
Thursday, September 19 – John and Yoko decide to quit Heroin
Friday, September 20 – Hey Baby released
Saturday, September 21 – John and Yoko finish withdrawal
Tuesday, September 24 – Ringo enters fulltime three year program at RADA
Friday, September 27 – Number 9 EP released in UK; But I Am of the Universe released in US
Monday, September 30 – John and Yoko use Heroin again

Tuesday, October 1 – Paul and friends complete Where I Been From; John interviewed on BBC
Friday, October 4 – “Hey Jude”/“Don’t Say You Love Me” released
Saturday, October 5 – Paul and Maggie marry.
Friday, October 11 – Paul with touring band begin surprise performances starting in London
Thursday, October 31 – Joe Cocker and the Grease Band release “With A Little Help From My Friends”

Friday, November 1 – Wonderwall Music released.
Monday, November 3 – George and ‘friends’ start recording I, Me, Mine EP
Friday, November 8 – I, Me, Mine basic tracks completed
Monday, November 11 – Ringo and friends begin work on “Octopus’s Garden”/“Piggies”
Tuesday, November 19 – Last work on Ringo’s single completed
Wednesday, November 20 – George does over dubs on I, Me, Mine; stops shaving
Saturday, November 23 – Paul has to cancel surprise performance in Liverpool when news leaks
Thursday; November 28 – “Journey to the Unknown: Matakitas Is Coming” broadcast

Friday, December 6 – “Octopus’s Garden”/“Piggies” released
Tuesday, December 10 – Thomas Merton almost assassinated by three men
Thursday, December 12 – Joe Cocker and the Grease Band begin tour of North America
Sunday, December 15 – Paul’s last surprise performance in Edinburgh
Tuesday, December 17 – Candy released
Friday, December 20 – Where I Been From released
Thursday, December 26 – Paul gives free concert at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool to over 50,000

1969

Saturday, January 4 – Paul and Anfield band go into studio
Friday, January 10 – I, Me, Mine EP released
Wednesday, January 15 - John views screening of Paul's statement and he writes "Sensitive Guy" lyrics
Thursday, January 18 - John records "Sensitive Guy" lyrics
Wednesday, January 22 - John with Paul and some of the Anfield Band record "Don't Wanna Cry"
Friday, January 31 – “Get Back”/“Deep Inside” released

Monday, February 10 – Paul and Anfield band finish new songs in studio
Thursday, February 20 - John and Yoko slip
Friday, February 21 - "Sensitive Guy"/"Don't Wanna Cry" released

Thursday, March 6 - John and Yoko go cold turkey
Monday, March 10 - John and Yoko finish withdrawal, Ringo starts filming Magic Christian
Thursday, March 13 - John uses Heroin with a needle
Friday, March 14 - John attempts suicide, Yoko saves his life
Saturday, March 22 – Paul and the Anfield Band (now their official name) begin tour with Birmingham
Sunday, March 23 - John visits used book store and buys book, stays up all night reading it
Monday, March 24 – John asks Peter Brown to contact the monk author
Tuesday, March 25 - George finally hears "Sensitive Guy" on the radio
Wednesday, March 26 – George writes “We’re Together”
Saturday, March 29 – John flies to Kentucky, Yoko stays in London

Saturday April 5 – Joe Cocker and the Grease Band ‘s North America tour ends in Seattle
Monday, April 7 – George with Grease Band, record in Seattle with Leon Russel
Tuesday, April 15 – George finishes recording, flies to Maui
Thursday, April 17 – “We’re Together”/”Let Me Play It” and We’re Together released.

Friday May 2 – George and Pattie fly from Maui to London, Ringo finishes film Magic Christian
Saturday, May 3 – George visits Yoko at her and John’s flat
Thursday, May 8 – Delaney & Bonnie UK tour with ‘Dutch Egmond’ begins

Thursday, June 5 – Ringo finishes drama classes for year.
Wednesday, June 11 - Anfield, film and album, released.
Saturday, June 14 – Ringo and Maureen fly to Los Angeles
Monday, June 16 – Ringo auditions for They Shoot Horses Don’t They

Tuesday, July 1 – Ringo starts filming They Shoot Horses Don’t They
Thursday, July 3 – John “Jackie” McCartney born

Tuesday, August 12 – Ringo finishes filming They Shoot Horses Don’t They

Friday, December 12 – The Magic Christian released
Wednesday, December 24 – They Shoot Horses Don’t They released costarring Richard Starkey

1970

Saturday, March 7 – Oscars nominations announced, Richard Starkey nominated for Best Supporting Actor

Tuesday, April 7 – 42nd Academy Awards, Jack Nicholson wins Best Supporting Actor

1972
John and Yoko on Mike Douglas daytime talk show

1987
John does MTV interview with Kurt Loder

1993
Yoko publishes her autobiography

2004
Paul does Rolling Stone interview

 

[cortz#9]

Updating the entire timeline:

One of the Beautiful People: Alt Former Beatles Timeline


1967
<>
1987
John does MTV interview with Kurt Loder

<>

If only.

 

[Asharella]

If only.

Yeah. When my timeline doesn't have that jerk killing John, I like to give us some subtle hint of that right off.

 

[SavoyTruffle]

Seems like Richard Starkey gets his knighthood from his acting career TTL

 

[Asharella]

Seems like Richard Starkey gets his knighthood from his acting career TTL

Let's be clear. When Ringo did They Shoot Horses Don't They and when he was nominated and his name listed at the ceremony, it was as Richard Starkey. Some folk saw the film and didn't realize the character was being played by Ringo, as they didn't know Richard Starkey was his real name and they didn't recognize him. That was part of the reason he got the nomination.

So I changed the timeline to reflect this. Thanks, @SavoyTruffle

 

[Asharella]

Believe Me

The film Anfield was a phenomenon. The cinemas showing it were sold out for each showing in most cities across the world for the first two weeks. Some cinemas in North America were torn because the crowds kept coming but they were getting pressure to show other films from their supplies. (This was back before multi-screen theaters were common.) They came up with a solution. They'd show the regular scheduled film at normal hours then do midnight shows of Anfield.

It seemed a lot of the same people were going to see it over and over.

Things really changed on the midnight show of Saturday, June 28th in Sunapee, New Hampshire. A teenage band from Massachusettes known as the Jam Band had played a High School dance there and afterwards the guitarist, Anthony Perry, and bassist, Tom Hamilton, smuggled in their equipment into the theater with help from a teenage usher who'd been at the dance but worked the midnight show. They set up their amps behind the screen and had long cords on their instruments and for the mic on its stand. During the part of the film that was interviewing crowd members at Anfield before the show, which was right before Paul and the band performing "Get Back" they went out on stage and when the song started they played along. They figured this stunt would drawn attention and help the get gigs.

What they didn't expect was that a kid from the Bronx in the audience was visiting and as Perry began singing along he jumped out of his seat, ran to the stage, up the stairs, and just took the mic away and began singing instead. Perry was upset until her heard Steven Tallarico's voice. This was how the future members of Aerosmith met.

The kids did get publicity in the local area. But the entire world heard about the stunt, even though the actual persons who did it weren't discussed much.

Steven Tallarico AKA Steven Tyler​

By Thursday, July 3, the day Jackie McCartney was born, most midnight showings had amateurs on stage playing along. Then people in the audiences began yelling out some of the lines that audience members at the concert had said. The first line repeated was by a young Liverpool girl named Tanya Smith who'd said in an interview after the concert but that was shown at the beginning of the film, "It was a dream, a dream. A dream. I still can't believe it."

In one point in the film the scene shows the crowd holding up lighters. Soon the audience members would hold up lighters at the same point. Even people who didn't smoke would bring lighters.

When asked about this, Paul said, "I'm glad they're having fun."

From that moment on the audiences began yelling "WE'RE HAVING FUN" when in the film Paul asked the audience at Anfield how they were doing.

Then when the scene was shown that Paul said John was a sensitive guy the audience would sing out John's line "I'm a sensitive guy", making it so they couldn't hear the next line in the film.

It was reported that a lot of midnight showings reeked of marijuana smoke.

Paul and the Anfield Band ended their UK tour in late April and had moved on to Europe. That ended in early June with the last show on Saturday the 7th in Stockholm. Paul and Maggie were back in London for the premiere of the film. They attended it with George and Pattie, Ringo and Maureen, Yoko, and the members of the Anfield Band. John was still in Kentucky, but George and Pattie were only in Ireland with Delaney & Bonnie and flew to London for the premiere. The June 11th show in Dublin was missing 'Dutch Egmond.' (George didn't wear a hat or sunglasses to the premiere.)

Between the premiere and the birth of Jackie, Paul focused on moving the family to the farm in Scotland he'd bought back in 1966*. It was near Campbell, Scotland and had 183 acres, but the farm house was in shambles. Once he'd married Maggie he'd invested in restoring the farmhouse, which was ready by the time they'd ended the 1969 tour.

The flat they had in London was kept too. This made it easy for the family to be in London when needed. Once Maggie was recovered from the birth up in Scotland, they took baby Jackie and returned to London on Tuesday the 15th, so Paul could record more music. On Wednesday he and the Anfield Band went into the studio and recorded eight more songs. This time Paul asked George Martin to produce, which he was happy to do, having completed Cloudsplitter's first album in March. (That was released on March 21, the day before they became the opening act for Paul's tour.) Of course George Martin, now a manager as well as producer, had been on the tour to shepherd his band. That meant interaction between him and Paul. They talked things out about what had happened and Paul admitted he wanted to work with others, but he had never intended to not work with him.

The eight new songs were added to the six recorded in January, including the two on the single, to make an album of 14 tracks. As a solo artist Paul decided the practice of not including singles on an album was just not workable anymore.

Believe Me

Side One

1. Get Back
2. Deep Inside
3. Why Why Why
4. Believe Me
5. Back Home
6. Be With You
7. Mexico City

Side Two

1. Words of Wisdom
2. Break Down
3. Couldn't Anybody See
4. Lullaby
5. A Long Time
6. Love You
7. Lead Me To You

Side one was intentionally the harder, bluesy rock material. The two new songs were also recorded in the same style. The only exception was the folky "Back Home." Side two had the softer, ballady "Words of Wisdom", still sparse in arrangement, from January on it, but the rest was all very much studio heavy music and tracks 2 through 6 merged into one another. Between track 6 and 7 was a long pause, which Paul said was part of the artistic experience. Like "Words of Wisdom," "Lead Me To You" was also a softer, ballady, piano based song sparser in arrangement, as if the two piano songs book ended the side.

Even though nearly half of the material on Believe Me had been in Anfield and the live album released, their was a strong desire for the higher quality studio production. When it was released on Friday, August 15, the McCartneys and the Anfield Band were in North America, ready to kick off their North American tour with their first scheduled performance on Saturday, the 16th.

*It happened in OTL too since it was before the POD. In OTL it also sat empty until after Paul's marriage.

 

[Asharella]

​

For this album Paul decided to just do a simple green with a stencil of the name of the album and himself and the band on the front and a faded logo of Apple Corps without the words on the back. This was to contrast with the previous solo album that was somewhat psychedelic and the live album that was a big picture of the band performing from the film and then lots of pictures from the film on the back. (OOC: sorry, more than I can make, so you'll have to imagine the Anfield covers on your own. /OCC) The idea was that they'd had the visuals in the film and its album, now they just had the music.

The actual sleeve had the lyrics to every track on the album, each side of the sleeve doing one side of the record. Some fans became meticulous about always putting the record in the sleeve the 'right way.'

 

[Asharella]

One of the Beautiful People: Alt Former Beatles Timeline

1969

Saturday, January 4 – Paul and Anfield band go into studio
Friday, January 10 – I, Me, Mine EP released
Wednesday, January 15 - John views screening of Paul's statement and he writes "Sensitive Guy" lyrics
Thursday, January 18 - John records "Sensitive Guy" lyrics
Wednesday, January 22 - John with Paul and some of the Anfield Band record "Don't Wanna Cry"
Friday, January 31 – “Get Back”/“Deep Inside” released

Monday, February 10 – Paul and Anfield band finish new songs in studio
Thursday, February 20 - John and Yoko slip
Friday, February 21 - "Sensitive Guy"/"Don't Wanna Cry" released

Thursday, March 6 - John and Yoko go cold turkey
Monday, March 10 - John and Yoko finish withdrawal, Ringo starts filming Magic Christian
Thursday, March 13 - John uses Heroin with a needle
Friday, March 14 - John attempts suicide, Yoko saves his life
Saturday, March 15 – George Martin finishes producing Cloudsplitter
Friday, March 21 – Cloudsplitter released
Saturday, March 22 – Paul and the Anfield Band (now their official name) begin tour in Birmingham,
Saturday, March 22 – Cloudsplitter opens for Pa(now their official name) begin tour with Birmingham
Sunday, March 23 - John visits used book store and buys book, stays up all night reading it
Monday, March 24 – John asks Peter Brown to contact the monk author
Tuesday, March 25 - George finally hears "Sensitive Guy" on the radio
Wednesday, March 26 – George writes “We’re Together”
Saturday, March 29 – John flies to Kentucky, Yoko stays in London

Saturday April 5 – Joe Cocker and the Grease Band ‘s North America tour ends in Seattle
Monday, April 7 – George with Grease Band, record in Seattle with Leon Russel
Tuesday, April 15 – George finishes recording, flies to Maui
Thursday, April 17 – “We’re Together”/”Let Me Play It” and We’re Together released.

Friday May 2 – George and Pattie fly from Maui to London, Ringo finishes film Magic Christian
Saturday, May 3 – George visits Yoko at her and John’s flat
Thursday, May 8 – Delaney & Bonnie UK tour with ‘Dutch Egmond’ begins

Thursday, June 5 – Ringo finishes drama classes for year.
Wednesday, June 11 - Anfield, film and album, released.
Saturday, June 14 – Ringo and Maureen fly to Los Angeles
Monday, June 16 – Ringo auditions for They Shoot Horses Don’t They
Saturday, June 28 – Sunapee, NH:Future members of Aerosmith play on stage along with Anfield

Thursday, July 3 – John “Jackie” McCartney born, crowd participation at Anfield spreads
Tuesday, July 15 – McCartneys return to London
Wednesday, July 16 – Paul and the Anfield Band begin recording 7 more songs for Believe Me

Friday, August 8 – Paul and the Anfield Band complete Believe Me
Tuesday, August 12 – Ringo finishes filming They Shoot Horses Don’t They
Friday, August 15 – Believe Me released
Saturday, August 16 – Paul and Anfield begin North American tour

Friday, December 12 – The Magic Christian released
Wednesday, December 24 – They Shoot Horses Don’t They released costarring Richard Starkey

1970

Saturday, March 7 – Oscars nominations announced, Richard Starkey nominated for Best Supporting Actor

Tuesday, April 7 – 42nd Academy Awards, Jack Nicholson wins Best Supporting Actor

1972
John and Yoko on Mike Douglas daytime talk show

1987
John does MTV interview with Kurt Loder

1993
Yoko publishes her autobiography

2004
Paul does Rolling Stone interview

 

[Asharella]

For your listening pleasure, here are all the corresponding OTL songs to the TTL songs on Believe Me. Again, they are quite different in lyrics and musical arrangement, except tracks 2-6 of Side Two are as studio heavy as the corresponding OTL, just not the same. The jump from track 2 to 3 is not abrupt like it is listening to the corresponding TTL songs put together with the three Lennon songs removed. Enjoy:

(If you have Spotify, I have it all on one playlist: Believe Me )

Side One

1. "Get Back" of OTL

2. OTL's "I've Got a Feeling" with Lennon's "Everybody" that's not in TTL's "Deep Inside"

3. TTL's "Why Why Why" is only barely related to this OTL rocker

4. TTL's "Believe Me" is only slightly similar to "Oh Darling"

5. TTL's "Back Home" is more folky and acoustic than this- no drums​

 

[cortz#9]

Believe Me
View attachment 454922

The film Anfield was a phenomenon. The cinemas showing it were sold out for each showing in most cities across the world for the first two weeks. Some cinemas in North America were torn because the crowds kept coming but they were getting pressure to show other films from their supplies. (This was back before multi-screen theaters were common.) They came up with a solution. They'd show the regular scheduled film at normal hours then do midnight shows of Anfield.

<>

So Anfield is TTL's Rocky Horror?

 

[Asharella]

Side One

6. "Be With You" is much rockier than "Every Night"

7. "Mexico City" has no orchestra & is faster & rockier than "Back Seat of My Car"

​

Side Two

1. "Words of Wisdom" is similar to "Let It Be"

2. "Break Down" is Studio Heavy like "You Never Give Me Your Money" but different

3. "Couldn't Anybody See" is similar to "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window"​

 

[Asharella]

Side Two

4. "Lullaby" is similar to "Golden Slumbers"

5. "A Long Time" is similar to "Carry That Weight"

6. "Love You" is similar to "The End" with Paul, Denny, & Jimmy trading off guitar solos

7. "Lead Me to You" is like the Naked version of "The Long and Winding Road"
Paul says Maggie's name in the lyrics​

 

[Asharella]

So Anfield is TTL's Rocky Horror?

Well, it has audience participation and midnight showings. But fans of Rocky did it because it was campy and funny to do it. Fans of Anfield did it because they love it so much.

Also the cult of Rocky went on for years. In our TTL the craziness around Anfield only lasts a few months.

 

[Asharella]

The Birds of Appetite

For years he'd stayed removed from the world in the Trappist monastery in Kentucky, in fact he'd even chosen an eremitical life within the monastery, living in isolation in a hermitage instead of community. But in his writings and correspondence he traveled the world and engaged in deep ecumenical conversations with mystics of other faith traditions including the Zen Buddhist David Suzuki and the Dali Lama. But finally in 1968 his new Abbott gave him permission to physically travel the world to visit those he'd only known through letters.

On December 10th he was in a Red Cross retreat center near Bangkok, Thailand where he'd spoken at a monastic conference. It was a hot day and very humid, so he was in his quarters in nothing but a pair of shorts, a hitachi fan going to cool him off. Three American men in black suits, black hats, white starched shirts, black ties, and very dark sunglasses came in the quarters. One grabbed him, another smashed him across the back of the head with the handle of his black automatic pistol. The third grabbed the fan, unplugged it, and then twisted the chord.

Thomas Merton, world famous writer and monk, a man of peace and non-violence who opposed the Vietnam War and influenced millions, was dropped on the floor. The fan was laid on his chest. Then it was plugged in and it short circuited. The three men left.

The world was lucky that day. If he'd been left alone for hours as he'd asked, he would have been found dead. But little things make little changes that have enormous consequences. A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazon and a storm blows across the plains of North America. Here the butterfly wing flap was the Beatles ceasing to be the Beatles over a year earlier. The storm was another monk deciding to ignore Merton's request and go to speak with him and find him in time to save his life.

Merton knew to not tell anyone about the three mysterious men who attempted to kill him. He suspected who they were and why they'd tried to silence him permanently. One by one the voices against War were being silenced. But no one would believe him and he'd be in more danger.

Merton returned to Kentucky as quickly as possible. From his hermitage in the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani he returned to his meditations, prayers, and writing. But he felt he needed a new way to reach the world with his message of peace and non-violence, but now with an added urgency of action. He couldn't be a man of action. He had two reasons to be in retreat. He needed the safety of the protection of the monastery and there was his calling as a Trappist monk.

Thomas Merton was 54 that day that John Lennon picked up his book, "Zen and the Birds of Appetite" in a used book store in London. Merton had lost his mother as a child. His father was absent and he was raised by relatives. He had a desire to be a writer and found himself enmeshed in the artistic community of his time while being educated in France, England, and then Columbia University in New York. He'd been an agnostic until during a trip before college to Rome he found a delight in old churches for their architecture and art. That began an interest in Catholicism that grew and grew, when he discovered medieval contemplative meditation, but never came to fruition, until while a graduate student at Columbia he and a friend met a visiting Hindu monk, Mahanambrata Brahmachari, and asked for spiritual guidance. Instead of trying to convert Merton and his friend, the monk encouraged them to seek answers in their own faith.

As an agnostic child Merton had said that God could be found in all faiths, but he said it then as a way to dismiss religion. Now he embraced this truth, that the experience of God, was shared by all faiths even though they didn't share the same opinions about God. Merton took Bramachari's advice to heart and turned his reading to more medieval Catholic mystics. Soon he became Catholic, then a novice at Gethsemani, then a monk, and finally a priest.

He already was a published author of poetry when he entered the monastery. He thought he might have to give up his writing for his vocation, but his Abbott told him the opposite. By the late 1960s he'd written many books and was famous among the more liberal Catholics who embraced the Deep Ecumenicism of Vatican II, Liberation Theology, Peace, and Non-Violence.

All through his life Merton felt a great sense of loneliness and emptiness. With courage he shared that in his writings, especially as he found sustenance in that in Zen. Merton distinguished between Zen Buddhism, a religion, and Zen, a practice that could work in any faith or world view and was similar to the mystic spirituality of the West that had been rejected in the modern world.

In his book "Zen and the Birds of Appetite" Merton described how Zen was a way, a path, to deal with the desires we feel that lead us to pain.

John Lennon read the book in the store because of the name. He was surprised when he found it was written by a Catholic monk. He'd never heard of Merton, most folk hadn't. But as John read about how desire leads to pain and that Zen was not a solution but a way, a journey, that can lead us through it, he found himself crying. His desire he couldn't control was addiction to Heroin. It put him in pain. He now knew he needed help.

He bought the book. The next day he called Peter Brown and asked him to find him more of Merton's writings. He read his biography, The Seven Storey Mountain. John couldn't believe it. This Trappist monk's life was like his, losing his mother as a child, his father absent, raised by relatives, drawn to art, a writer, a poet, a wild youth, an avowed agnostic, and then drawn to the East.

Maybe he could help him.

When the Abbott got the call from London he knew who John Lennon was, who didn't? Brother Thomas always had fan mail, but this famous person wanted more than to write. He wanted to meet the monk. He told Lennon that he'd have to pray and discuss this with Merton.

Merton knew this was right. He couldn't go into the world. John Lennon was struggling, in pain, like him, looking for answers. He could help him and through him, work for peace, understanding, love, and helping the world get together to try and love one another.

OOC: The Jesus Movement was spreading in the late 60s. Most of it would end up as a kind of conservative fundamentalism, but then that it would do that wasn't clear and it was similar to leftist, love oriented Hippiedom and the mystical tradition of the East and contemplatives like Merton.

The Youngbloods' "Get Together" was released in 1967 pre-POD but went no where. It was a cover of a song that first was recorded by the Kingston Trio in 1964. But in June of 1969 in OTL and in TTL the Youngbloods' version was released and re-entered the charts after it was used in ads by The National Council of Christians and Jews. It went to the top 5.

The video shows Woodstock. The Youngbloods did not perform at Woodstock. But the theme of the song is a perfect mix of the values of the Hippie nation that culminated in Woodstock and the thinking of Merton and the early Jesus Movement that hadn't left its Hippie and Rock roots.

Most of the above about Merton is true in OTL, all up until the attempted assassination in TTL. In OTL Merton actually died then and many believe he was killed by the CIA- I didn't make that up. I just assumed it was true.

This is not my John Lennon update. This is an extra to ready us for the next update that will be my John Lennon update.

 

[Asharella]

"I never really had a father. My uncle was like a father, but he was my uncle. Alfred was actually my father, but he was not there and only came back when I was rich and he wanted something. Then I got a father, he was a father because he was a priest and they are fathers. But still, I had gotten me a father." ~John Lennon, 1987 MTV Interview with Kurt Loder

 

[cortz#9]

Good stuff Ash.

 

[Asharella]

In reverse of the usual practice- here's the front and back covers of John's next album that will be discussed in the next update.